Robert A. Harris
Music professor and conductor Robert A. Harris was born on January 9, 1938 in Detroit, Michigan. His father, Major Harris, was a factory worker; his mother, Rusha Harris, a homemaker. Harris attended Sherrill Elementary and graduated from Charles Chadsey High School in 1956. He studied at Wayne State University where he earned his B.A. degree in music education in 1960 and his M.A. degree in music on 1962. Harris briefly attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York and then received his Ph.D. degree in composition and theory from Michigan State University in 1971. He also completed post-doctoral work at Aspen Music School in 1973 and 1974.
In 1960, Harris was hired as a music teacher in the Detroit Public Schools. He was then appointed as an assistant professor of music at Wayne State University. Harris became Director of Choral Activities at Michigan State University in 1964, and then joined the faculty of Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music as professor of conducting and director of choral organizations in 1977. He has also served as a visiting professor at Wayne State University, the University of Texas, and the University of South Africa in Pretoria. In 2012, Harris retired as professor emeritus at Northwestern University. Harris has appeared as a conductor, choral clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States and in the Republic of China where he served as one of two guest conductors/clinicians for the Taipei Philharmonic Choral and Conducting Workshop. His international performances also include South Korea as the guest conductor for the Inchon City Chorale, and Hong Kong as a guest conductor of a Choral Festival Youth Chorale. As an international music instructor, Harris has presented master classes, workshops, and lectures on conducting in South Africa, as well as presenting lectures and master classes on African American spirituals in Argentina.
Harris served as a member and co-chair of the Choral Panel of the National Endowment for the Arts. Harris is associated with a number of professional and honorary organizations, including the American Choral Directors Association, the American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP), Chorus America, Pi Kappa Lambda National Honor Music Society and Phi Mu Alpha Professional Music Fraternity.
Harris has received several awards and honors, including the Wayne State University “Alumni Arts Achievement Award in Music,” the Northwestern University School of Music “Faculty Exemplar Teaching Award,” and the Northwestern University Alumni Association “Excellence in Teaching Award.” As a composer, Harris has been the recipient of over forty commissions from various schools, churches and musical organizations. His compositions, especially those of the choral genre, have been performed throughout the United States, Europe and South Africa. A number of his compositions have been published.
Robert A. Harris was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on August 25, 2013.
A2013.234
Male
8/25/2013
Harris
Married
Allen
Sherrill Elementary School
Chadsey High School
Wayne State University
Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester
Michigan State University
Aspen Music School
Robert
Detroit
HAR43
Fall
Michigan
United Kingdom
It's Better to Have It and Not Need It Than to Need It and Not Have It.

Illinois
1/9/1938
Evanston
United States
Seafood
Conductor and music professor Robert A. Harris (1938 - ) , former Director of Choral Activities at Michigan State University, retired as professor emeritus of the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music in 2012.
Detroit Public Schools System
Wayne State University
Michigan State University
Northwestern University
Blue
Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Robert A. Harris' interview
Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Robert A. Harris lists his favorites
Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Robert A. Harris describes his mother's family background
Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Robert A. Harris talks about his adoptive father's, Major Lee Harris', first name
Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Robert A. Harris talks about his adoptive parents
Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Robert A. Harris talks about his biological father and being adopted by his aunt and uncle
Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Robert A. Harris describes his early exposure to the Baptist and Methodist churches
Tape: 1 Story: 8 - Robert A. Harris lists his siblings
Tape: 1 Story: 9 - Robert A. Harris describes his childhood neighborhood in Detroit, Michigan
Tape: 1 Story: 10 - Robert A. Harris describes the sights, sounds and smells of his childhood
Tape: 1 Story: 11 - Robert A. Harris describes his exposure to jazz and bebop music as a child
Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Robert A. Harris recalls attending shows at the Paradise Theater and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in Detroit, Michigan
Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Robert A. Harris talks about his music education and instructors at Sherrill Elementary School in Detroit, Michigan
Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Robert A. Harris talks about his extracurricular activities at Chadsey High School in Detroit, Michigan
Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Robert A. Harris talks about his maternal uncle
Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Robert A. Harris talks about black history organizations and clubs in Detroit, Michigan
Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Robert A. Harris talks about his mentors at Chadsey High School in Detroit, Michigan
Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Robert A. Harris remembers collecting classical music records and receiving a gift from a choir director as a child
Tape: 2 Story: 8 - Robert A. Harris explains the history of African American spirituals
Tape: 2 Story: 9 - Robert A. Harris talks about sacred anthems and oratorios
Tape: 2 Story: 10 - Robert A. Harris talks about Leonard Bernstein's influence on his classical music interest
Tape: 2 Story: 11 - Robert A. Harris recalls listening to jazz pianist, Alice Coltrane
Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Robert A. Harris describes an experience of racial stereotyping by a teacher at Sherrill Elementary School in Detroit, Michigan
Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Robert A. Harris talks about his college preparatory curriculum at Chadsey High School in Detroit, Michigan
Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Robert A. Harris talks about his decision to study music in college and his first conducting experience
Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Robert A. Harris talks about his decision to attend Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan
Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Robert A. Harris describes integrating a Detroit, Michigan restaurant and a Washington D.C. hotel pool
Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Robert A. Harris talks about his mentors at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan
Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Robert A. Harris talks about his music education curriculum at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan
Tape: 3 Story: 8 - Robert A. Harris talks about teaching in the Detroit Public Schools while studying for his Master's degree at Wayne State University
Tape: 3 Story: 9 - Robert A. Harris recalls his decision to join the faculty at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan
Tape: 3 Story: 10 - Robert A. Harris talks about his Master's thesis on 1920s African American classically trained musicians and hearing Paul Robeson sing in Detroit, Michigan
Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Robert A. Harris talks about teaching at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan
Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Robert A. Harris talks about black music ensembles in Detroit, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois
Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Robert A. Harris recalls his decision to stop his doctorate studies at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York
Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Robert A. Harris talks about earning his Ph.D. and teaching at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan
Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Robert A. Harris talks about composing choral music and meeting Eva Jessye
Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Robert A. Harris talks about joining the faculty of Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music in 1977
Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Robert A. Harris talks about the differences between Michigan State University and Northwestern University
Tape: 4 Story: 8 - Robert A. Harris talks about the students at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois
Tape: 4 Story: 9 - Robert A. Harris talks about the music faculty at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois
Tape: 4 Story: 10 - Robert A. Harris talks about teaching conducting at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois
Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Robert A. Harris describes the role of the conductor
Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Robert A. Harris describes his conducting philosophy and conducting 'Not In Our Time' by Richard Blackford
Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Robert A. Harris talks about preparing for a performance and explains how a musical composition translates into a performance
Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Robert A. Harris talks about Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven
Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Robert A. Harris talks about black composers and conductors in Chicago, Illinois
Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Robert A. Harris talks about his own compositions
Tape: 5 Story: 7 - Robert A. Harris talks about writing for choral ensembles and solo vocalists
Tape: 5 Story: 8 - Robert A. Harris talks about classical church music in Chicago, Illinois
Tape: 5 Story: 9 - Robert A. Harris talks about former students
Tape: 5 Story: 10 - Robert A. Harris talks about conducting internationally and in New York City
Tape: 6 Story: 1 - Robert A. Harris talks about musical collaborations
Tape: 6 Story: 2 - Robert A. Harris talks about the Winnetka Congregational Church in Winnetka, Illinois
Tape: 6 Story: 3 - Robert A. Harris describes his dream choral ensemble
Tape: 6 Story: 4 - Robert A. Harris talks about retirement
Tape: 6 Story: 5 - Robert A. Harris reflects upon his legacy
Tape: 6 Story: 6 - Robert A. Harris talks about his satisfaction with his life and career
Tape: 6 Story: 7 - Robert A. Harris describes his hopes for the African American community
Tape: 6 Story: 8 - Robert A. Harris talks about his family
Tape: 6 Story: 9 - Robert A. Harris describes how he would like to be remembered
Tape: 7 Story: 1 - Robert A. Harris narrates his photographs
1$1
3$5
10$2